Help I'm new

General Discussion. Make yourself at home...read, ask and answer!



Non-Lurker
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Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:50 pm
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 7:04 pm
Hello everyone :) Just thought I'd start a new topic for the first timers.
I own a 65 Plymouth Valiant wagon. and I'm stripping the old paint from it and found a ton of bondo covering dents and dings from a previous
accident as well as some rust holes. anyway I'm new at auto body
but I do know that getting to bare metal and replacing bad metal with new metal is the best way to do things before painting. the problem is welding up new metal peices. I work in an automotive repair shop and we have a small Lincoln M.I.G. welder, and it does not seem to work very well for welding the new sheet metal as it keeps burning through the metal,
even at the lowest temp and wire speed settings. can any1 recomend
the proper welder as well as what tools may be needed to have handy for the job as this is my first venture into body restoration. I just want to do it right the first time. I appreciate any guiding hints or help.
Thank you and God bless :)
P.S. They look better on the road than in the junk yard
Last edited by ValiantOwner on Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:20 am
Location: Daly City, CA
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:12 pm
I'm not the expert here, but I will share some thoughts with you. If there is bondo there, it was there for a reason. This could be a dent, to cover a patch, or possibly just covering an empty hole. Get off the bondo and see what you are dealing with. If the metal is still there, and not rusted, you could probably just shape it out better so you can use less bondo.

If the holes you found are small enough, there are other ways around it. Welding in the new piece will of course be the best though. How big are the rust holes you are finding?

For the MIG, check on the machine or the documentation if you can find it to determine the material thickness it's capable of. Unless it's strictly for heavy duty use, it should handle the metal fine. I would guess your valiant is using somewhere close to 19 gauge. Make sure you are using the same thickness for the patches.

You may be holding the end of the gun too close. Also, try to do it in short pieces, and then connect it all together. Tack the patch in place first, then place tacks about 1 inch apart until you build the whole weld up.

I hope this gets you started to look in the right direction.
64 Chevy - Bel Air, 2 door, 283, PG
79 Vespa - P125 all stock for now!



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Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2003 11:50 pm
Location: Sanford, NC
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 12:06 am
Hello,

I am brand new to the forum here, but I can already tell I have found the right place. I am also brand new to painting and I have been looking for a place on the net like this for weeks. First of all, I own an 81 Jeep Scrambler, and I am trying to restore it. I realize that by being a Jeep owner it automatically places me in the lunatic fringe category for painting. Hence, most Jeep owners could care less about the paint job, and a can of Krylon will do. I guess I just want to learn the trade.

I arrived at this site searching for tips on MIG welding. I can see that the site is funded by the sales of instuctional videos. I would like to get some feedback from those that purchased the videos. Did these people feel like they got their money's worth, etc...

I am also in the same boat with a little rust and some holes. I too bought a Lincoln MIG 135 just for sheet metal purposes. The previous owner of my CJ8 thought it would be a good idea to put on diamond plating, thus, leaving me with about 50 some odd holes to fill in. I took the MIG135 back and decided that I needed a more powerful welder; not for the sheet metal work, but I also need to do some frame modifications. I need to find a good balance. I went to cyberweld.com and they have a really nice Miller 210 that adjusts from 30-210 amps for a reasonable price. The Lincoln only adjusted from 30-135, but I never really got to test it on thin sheet metal. What are the pro's out there using and why?

I also want to use clear coat but I have been told that for a rooky it is not an easy task. Well, I would just take it to the pro's, but damnit I want to learn how to do it. I would also take a class at the local college but my work schedule does not permit this. How effective are these tapes for teaching a moron with all the time and money in the world to paint?

Thanks
RGW
I think the mistake a lot of us make is thinking the state-appointed psychiatrist is our "friend."



Fully Engaged
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:20 am
Location: Daly City, CA
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:27 am
RGW,

Glad you found the place. Ask all the questions you have it's one of the best ways to learn. If you really want to learn, go to the junkyard and get some old hoods or fenders. You can pick them up really cheap and you don't have to worry about ruining your jeep. Fix some rust holes on the piece, apply the filler, primer and block it, lay down your color/clear coats and do the final sanding/buffing. It will be the best practice. When you have it down, you can move on to the real thing.

A base coat/clear coat is actually easier for a rookie. It is easier to fix your mistakes. Once you get the spraying technique down, just follow the directions and you should be okay.

As far as the videos, I can tell you there haven't been any complaints about the quality of the videos. I can't help much with the welder. Find out what gauge the metal on your car is, should be 19-22. Make sure the welder will work well in those ranges. Mig will be the easiest to learn.

Visit us often.
64 Chevy - Bel Air, 2 door, 283, PG
79 Vespa - P125 all stock for now!



Settled In
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 7:52 am
Location: Lake City Florida
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 8:38 am
The size of wire you use in the welder makes a big difference..
I like .023 size versus .030. I help a guy from time to time at his shop
and he uses 030 wire. It takes me an hour or two to get used to the
extra heat required to melt the wire itself.



Non-Lurker
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:50 pm
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:51 pm
Hello all :)
First of all Thanks to DalyCity64 and dstlouis for the Info.
you asked how big the rust holes were. I have pictures if they can be posted here in the forum I will post them so you can see them. I was reading a copy of Eastwood car products and noticed they offer a lead filler kit that lets you use lead to fill dents and small holes. has anyone ever used it? or have any opinions on it?
also I was able by some miracle to get my wife involved in this project so
it will be easier to convince her I need new parts HEHEHEHEHE :wink:
hmm I wonder if she let me get a new crate Hemi? anyway back to the topic at hand. I removed the chrome fender and door trime today and tommorow I will remove more paint I will let you know how it goes.

Good night all and god bless.



Settled In
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 7:52 am
Location: Lake City Florida
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:51 pm
Hi.. I would not do anything with lead. Weld up the holes. If you can
email me some pictures..I always enjoy seeing a old car being reborn.

Dave St Louis
[email protected]



Non-Lurker
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:50 pm
PostPosted: Tue Sep 09, 2003 5:41 pm
Hey dstlouis how are you?

I e-mailed you some pictures of my Valiant. well I was stripping off some more paint and found that my whole lower rear quarter is a peice of chicken wire with about 5 pounds of bondo caked onto it (eeek I hate bondo) so now I get to start being a metal panel fabricator. I will let you know how it turns out.
good night and god bless :)



Settled In
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 7:52 am
Location: Lake City Florida
PostPosted: Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:26 pm
Dude thanks for sending the pictures ..that car oozes cool! WOW!
I really like cars that are different like yours. You can only look at
so many glass body 33 fords, you know what I mean? You got some
metal work ahead of you. Mostly I make patches from sheets of steel
but some times it works well to use old hoods or doors that have the
curve that you need already in it. I recently 'skinned 'a sedan delivery
rear door with the metal from a 1987 chevy pickup roof. The curve
matched exactly wich saved a ton of work. And there is nothing wrong
with bondo if it is used correctly. I seldom use the 'B' word, especially
around customers. Call it a smoothing agent. Keep us updated on your
project!
Cruise Cool...Dave



Settled In
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2003 8:44 am
Location: Southeastern USA
PostPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2003 8:47 am
I seldom use the 'B' word, especially
around customers. Call it a smoothing agent


Ha Ha Ha! I almost spewed my coffee all over the kitchen table when I read that. Thanks for the laugh and the new phrase, "Smoothing agent" LOL :lol:
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